Can You Freeze Apple Pie?

Updated onOctober 17, 2017

No special occasion is complete without a helping of apple pie! As a quintessentially American dessert, apple pie is universally loved for its delicious mix of cinnamon and juicy apples. There’s just something magical about this delectable combination! But can you freeze apple pie for later?

Even better, you don’t have to make an apple pie from scratch. You can buy pre-made mixes and enjoy apple pie right at home. Of course, if you’re a purist, you can bake homemade apple pie using fresh ingredients. The recipe is pretty basic so you can have a pie ready within a couple of hours! You can also tweak the recipe to play up the flavors and come up with your distinct version of this well-loved dessert.

Whichever way you choose to bake this dessert, storing them is just as important to avoid spoilage; this goes especially if your apple pie filling is on the watery side. Yes, you can freeze apple pie, regardless if it’s baked or unbaked! And whether or not you are freezing baked or unbaked pie, you want to use a container with a tight seal to prevent bacteria growth! Below is our simple guide on how can you freeze apple pie:

How to Freeze Apple Pie?

Freezing Unbaked Apple Pie

Keeping unbaked apple pie is a great idea because you want to store a nice treat for the kids or unexpected guests. Unbaked apple pie is best kept in the freezer, where it can last for up to 4 months! Before you freeze the apple pie, cover the entire container with either plastic wrap or aluminum foil, making sure that the pie is covered entirely and tightly. Now, chuck the pie in the freezer and you’re done.

Freezing Baked Apple Pie

Got apple pie leftovers? You can freeze apple pie and enjoy your favorite dessert without affecting its taste at all. For leftovers, just wrap the pie with tinfoil or plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer. When stored properly, leftover apple pie will keep up to 3 to 4 months.

How to Defrost Frozen Apple Pie?

The great thing about keeping frozen apple pie is that you can thaw and bake it straight into the oven. That goes for both baked and unbaked apple pie! You don’t want to leave the frozen pie sitting at room temperature for long to thaw because the moisture can cause the crust to go soggy. Worse, letting the pie sit in room temps may lead to spoilage so don’t waste time.

If you’re ready to thaw and bake your frozen, unbaked apple pie, just piece two to three holes in the upper crust and stick it in the oven for 20 minutes max at 450˚ F. Finally, reduce the heat to 375˚F until the crust is nice and brown.

On the other hand, if you’re defrosting a baked pie, just chuck it in the oven and re-heat to 350˚ F until warm.

The freshness of the ingredients matters the most because bruised apples tend to speed up bacteria growth, which may lead to a rancid pie in a matter of hours. If you’re baking from scratch, always choose crisp, un-bruised and fully ripe apples.

While you can always leave baked apple pie at room temperature, do not exceed beyond three days or the pie will turn moldy. Apple pie left in the refrigerator won’t keep as long as when it is stored in the freezer. When you store your apple pie in the refrigerator, it will only add 2 to 3 days to the dessert’s shelf life.

Now that you know how to properly freeze your apple pie, you can store as many pies as you like in the fridge and whip one up for dessert!